UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

so,
that
50
UN .'LE TOM 3 CABIN : OR,
child, it's all "
"
"
ingin my heart that I am going home to my wife girlLucy and her
and child ; and the same bell which is a signalfor aught I see."
straight enough,
Hck,''said the man,.
"
making over to you the
to carry me onward towards them will part this The woman's passionateexclamations collected
poor man and his wife forever. Depend upon it, a crowd around her, and the trader briefly God will bringyou into judgmentfor this." plained to them the cause of the agitation.
The trader turned away
in silence.
Louisville,
"
He told me that I was goingdown to
" I say, now," said the drover,touching his
to hire out as a cook to the same tavern
elbow, " there 'sdifferences in parsons, an't there ? where my husband works, "s what Mas'r
'
Cussed be Canaan' don't seem to go down with told me, his own self;and I can't believe he 'd
this 'un, does it?"
lieto me," said the woman.
Haley gave
an
uneasy growl.
"
But he has sold woman, there 's
no doubt about
you,
it,"said
my
a
poor
good-natured looking
" And that ar an't the worst on 't,"said John ;
" mabbe it won't go down with the Lord,neither, man, 'who had been examiningthe papers; " he
when ye come to settle with Him, one o' these has done it,and no mistake."
dayu, as all on us must, I reckon."
"Then it's no account talking," said the
Haley walked reflectively to the other end of woman, suddenlygravingquite calm ; and,
the boat.
clasping her child tighter in her arms, she sat
down on her box, turned her back round, and
" If I make prettyhandsomelyon one or two
next gangs,"he thought, " I reckon I'll stop off gazedlistlessly into the river.
this yer; it's reallygettingdangerous." And
"
Going to take it after all ! " said the
be took out his pocket-book, and began addingtrader. "
Gal
easy,
's got grit, over his accounts, a process which many gentlemen
The woman looked calm,as the boat went on
besides Mr. Haley have found ,
a specific and a beautiful soft summer breeze passed like a
foran uneasy conscience.
compassionate spiritover her the head," gentle
The boat swept proudly away from the shore, breezețhat never inquireswhether the brow is
and all went on merrily,as before. Men talked, dusky or fair that it fans. And she saw sunshine
and loafed,and read,and smoked. Women sewed, sparkling the water, in goldenripples, and children played, and the boat passedon her heard gay voices,full of ease and pleasure țalking
way.
around her everywhere; but her heart layas
One day, when she layto for a while -at a if a greatstone had fallen on it Her babyraised
small town in Kentucky,Haley went up
into the himself up againsther,and stroked her cheeks
placeon a littlematter of business.
with his littlehands ; and, springingup and
Tom, whose fettersdid not preventhis taking down, crowing and chatting, determined
a moderate circuit, had drawn near the side of to arouse her. She strained him suddenlyand
the boat,and stood listlessly gazing over the railings.
tightly in her arms, and slowlyone tear after
After a time,he saw the trader returning, another fell on his wondering,unconscious face ;
with an alert step, in company with a colored and gradually seemed, and littleby little, woman, bearingin her arms a yCung child. She grow calmer,and busied herself with tendingand
was dressedquiterespectably, and a colored man
nursing him.
followed her,bringingalonga small trunk. The The child,a boyof ten months, was uncommonly
woman came cheerfullyonward, talking, large and strong of his age, and very vigorous
came, with the man who bore her trunk, and so in his limbs. Never,for a moment, still, he kept
passed up the plank into the boat'. The bell his mother constantly busy in holdinghim, and
rung, the steamer whizzed, the enginegroanedguarding springing activity.
and coughed, and away sweptthe boat down the
"
That 's a fine chap !" said a man, suddenly
river.
stoppingopposite
with his hands in his
Th', woman walked forward among the boxes pockets. " How old is he?"
and bales of the lower deck,and, sittingdown,
" Ten months and a half,"said the mother.
busied herself with chirrupingto her baby.
The man whistled to the boy, and offered him
Haley made a tarn or two about the boat,and part of a stick of candy, which he eagerlygrabbed
then, comingup, seated himself near her, and at,and very soon had it in a baby'sgeneralde
begansayingsomethingto her in .an indifferent pository,
wit,his mouth.
undertone.
"Rum fellow!" said the man. "Knows
Tom soon noticed a heavy cloud passing over wnat 's what !" and he whistled, and walked on.
the woman's brow ; and that she answered rapidly,
When he had got to the other side of the boat,he
and with great vehemence.
came across Haley, who was smoking on top of a
K
1 don't believe I won't believe it ! " he
it," pileof boxes.
"
heard her say. You 'rejist a foolin wi,thme." The strangerproduced
a match, and lighteda
*'"
-f you won't believe it,look here ! " said the cigar,saying, he did so,
man, drawingout a
paper ; " "
this yer 's the bill Decentish kind
of sale,and there 's your master's name to it ; there,stranger."
o' wench you've got round
and I paiddown good solid cash for it,too, I can "Why, I reckon she is tol'able fair," said
tell you, now !"
Haley,blowingthe smoke out of his mouth.
" "
I don't believe Mas'r would cheat me so ; it Takingher down south?" said the man.
3an't be true !" said the woman, with increasing Haley nodded, and smoked on.
agitation.
"
Plantation hand?" said the man.
"
Wal," said Haley, " I 'm fillin'out " You can ask any of these men here,that can
an order
read -writing. said țo a man that for a plantation, and I think I shallput her in.
was passingby,"jistread this yer, won't you? They telled me she was a good cook ; and they
This yer gal won't believe me, when I tell her can use her for that,or set her at the cottonpicking
what 'tis."
Ṣhe 's got the rightfingers for that;.I
"
Why, it 's a billof sale,signedby John Fos-
looked at 'em. Sell well, either way ;" and
Haley resumed his cigar.